Archives: Podcast

Second Grade Teacher Earns Second Income

What It’s About

Elementary school teacher moonlights as a highly organized wedding planner.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Nicole believes that you should start by educating yourself on the business you want to grow. Then, use that knowledge and get very specific about who your ideal client is. For Nicole, her ideal client knows exactly what they want on their wedding day, and they are looking for a take-charge professional (like her) that knows their craft.

Fun Fact

There are an average of 2.4 million weddings in the United States every year. With a typical wedding these days costing over $30,000, this is a huge market. From flowers to function centers, there is a massive industry surrounding weddings with many angles to profit from!

Notes from Chris

Episode 880

When Nicole Gaskin got married, she organized everything herself, designed the centerpieces, arranged the flowers, and handled dozens of other important details. It was all the more complicated because hers was a destination wedding. Getting a group of guests organized in a place far from home is like herding sheep, albeit very well dressed sheep.

The wedding took place in the summer. It was the perfect time to take a break because Nicole is a full-time grade school teacher. She had ample holidays at that time of year.

When she returned home, she still had a fair bit of vacation left and nothing much to do. Her now husband returned to work and with the wedding planning over, she felt a little lost. Nicole is an extrovert who is always on the go, and summers as a teacher can be mundane. Rather than sit around with her feet up basking in newly wedded bliss, she decided to hustle.

Nicole was reminded of a small venture she’d had in the past planning birthdays, family reunions, and baby showers. With her event planning experience, combined with her new wedding organization skills, she came up with a name: Weddings By Nicole G. The two skill sets were a perfect match. No one objected to their union!

Nicole moved fast. Before the summer was even half over, she was off and running. And within just two weeks, Nicole had her first client.

Through her online marketing efforts, a soon to be bride found her website and booked her services. The wedding was in August, just a month away. Nicole would be responsible for making sure the whole day ran smoothly.

As the next few months went on, new clients kept trickling in. In addition to leads coming through websites, she began to receive referrals. She also occasionally worked to assist other local wedding planners to help get her name out there.

After her first few clients, she got a little more intentional about the types of clients she wanted to serve. An ideal client for her became someone who knows exactly what they want already. They need a professional with an eye for detail who can carry out their vision and create the perfect ceremony for them.

The more time went on, Nicole spotted another opportunity she’d been missing. Honeymoons! The planning for the actual day was great, but she realized if she could also arrange a dream honeymoon for the newly married couple she could earn a commission from travel companies. So, she began offering this as part of her services. She liked the feeling of not leaving money on the table.

Weddings are known to be expensive, but for the savvy side hustler, this presents an opportunity. In Nicole’s case, that opportunity has meant an extra twelve thousand dollars profit outside of her day job over the last twelve months. Of course, she hasn’t made enough to quit teaching yet. It’s all been largely reinvested into her side business, to help 2019 be even better.

For Nicole, the best part of this whole journey is that she is fulfilling her passion to create beautiful events and memories for her clients on their wedding day. Her side hustle allows her to know that she’s created an experience they won’t forget—and she’s doing it on her own terms.

 

  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

 

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Educate yourself on the business you want to grow. Then, use that knowledge and get very specific about who your ideal client is."
—Nicole Gaskin #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Bargain Hunter Designs One-of-a-Kind Flea Market

What It’s About

A weekend warrior discovers more than she bargains for and builds a six-figure side hustle.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Brittany hasn’t really worried about copycats because they generally end up fizzling out because, as she puts it, this is 100% a relationship business. If you don’t have a strong relationship with your vendors, there’s no way to keep something like this going. You have to really care about the people you work with and their success.

And if someone wanted to do something similar, Brittany says that that is the key to making something like this work—forming a strong connection with your local, creative community.

Fun Fact

Brittany hails from a unique little city called Orange. While most of the surrounding areas of LA were tearing down older establishments in lieu of building something modern and new in the ’60s, Orange dedicated its time to restoring them. As a matter of fact, Orange has the second largest concentration of historic buildings in the State of California and their Historic Town Center is even listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Notes from Chris

Episode 879
Although half of her life has been spent in Dallas, Texas, Brittany Cobb hails from a little city called Orange—appropriately located within Orange County, California. While most of the surrounding areas of LA were tearing down older establishments in lieu of building something modern and new, Orange had dedicated its time to restoring them.

With their love of “the old ways,” there was never a shortage of open-air shops, swap meets, and flea markets in their old-timey city square. And since her mom ran a booth at many of them, Brittany spent most weekends rummaging through the stacks in pursuit of treasures while her mom was occupied with decorating her booth. One of her earliest memories involves convincing her mom to buy her a funky iron and crystal lamp at one of these that found a home in her bedroom until she went off to journalism school in Texas.

She ended up stayed a few extra years working for local publications before relocating to New York City. Once there, she began to feel a little bit of home. Living within walking distance from the Brooklyn Flea Market, she happily filled her home and closet with one-of-a-kind items.

When it was time for her to relocate back to Dallas for work, she did so somewhat reluctantly. Although the city boasted plenty of shopping opportunities, a local flea market was conspicuously absent. There was a serious lack of the vintage, antique-y goodness that Brittany had come to know and love.

At the time, she was working as a journalist for a company called DailyCandy, and her main focus was highlighting the unique work of artisans and creators local to the area. Every day presented a new opportunity for her to connect with bakers, crafters, and collectors. Before long, she realized that she had a well-rounded collection of potential vendors right under her fingertips—quite literally!

So in true maker form, Brittany decided to put together an event. She cobbled together a simple vendor application using Microsoft Word, sent it out to her contact list, and started looking for a venue.

What seemed like an immense undertaking was quickly falling into place little by little.

But then, disaster struck … or was it an opportunity? Mere days before the launch of her first show, DailyCandy was bought out by another company and Brittany suddenly found herself without a job.

Luckily, that first show was a smashing success! It provided her with a bit of support while she was transitioning into the role of a freelance journalist, and she planned to run three more shows the next year—one in March, one in June, and another in September.

A lot has changed since then. After running a handful of shows each year in Dallas that were starting to bring in out-of-state visitors, she saw an opportunity to expand to new cities. She’d already changed her name to Flea Style, allowing her to be more flexible, and then a call from The Dallas Cowboys set things in motion.

They said that they loved what she was doing and wanted her to extend her show up to their headquarters in Frisco. It was a no brainer. They had over 12,000 shoppers come to that first show, and she now runs three of these each year as well.

In addition to expanding to a new city and opening up a retail shop, Brittany also added a handful of makers workshops out of her retail space that would allow the makers she partners with to share their skills with others, an e-commerce shop so that people could purchase items out of state, and even a podcast! And when all of the facets of Flea Style come together, Brittany brings in over $500,000 a year. In 2013, she started working on Flea Style full-time.

Brittany has a lot in store for Flea Style—there’s another retail shop opening up in Frisco in August, and she’s even adding a restaurant to one of her shops. The passion project now employs more than a dozen people. And it’s a side hustle that’s truly one of a kind!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Flea Style: Learn more about this unique, one-of-a-kind side hustle over on Brittany’s website!

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"If you want to open up a retail shop, whether online or in-person, you have to position yourself to be a little bit more niche. Having 100 dedicated shoppers will make you more successful than 1,000 wishy-washy shoppers."
—Brittany Cobb #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Cow Fat Skincare Line Steers to Grade-A Paycheck

What It’s About

A mechanical engineer trims the fat… and uses it to create skincare products.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

For anyone wanting to launch a similar side hustle or create a product from scratch, Cassy recommends starting small, keeping your day job so you have a steady income to support you, and to test products in your circle first before going to mass market.

Fun Fact

Tallow from grass-fed cows has a ton of natural, nourishing benefits. For centuries, humans used tallow in skin moisturizers and healing balms because it contains an abundance of natural, fat-soluble activators like vitamins A, D, E, and K. All of which are necessary for general health and skin health.

Notes from Chris

Episode 878
For years, Cassy Burnvoth has been on a mission to eat a clean diet, and after completing her first Whole30 (shoutout to Melissa Urban), she began paying closer attention to the ingredients she put in and on her body.

She took inventory of her skincare products and noticed that many were filled with chemicals and ingredients that were not aligned with her values. Eager to find more natural options, Cassy expanded her mission to find products that fed her skin with healthy ingredients just like the ones she was feeding her body.

As part of her research, she looked to the past for fundamentals of early beauty remedies like using pressed plant oils and animal fats. This is where she came across something called tallow.

If you never heard of tallow, it’s derived from the fat of grass-fed cows, mutton, and bison. It contains a lot of natural, nourishing benefits as well as abundant natural activators like vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are all necessary for skin health.

For centuries, humans used tallow in moisturizers and healing balms, but somehow the skin treatment routine of the paleolithic caveman had been lost to history. The more Cassie learned of this fatty wonder-ingredient, the more convinced she was that this was the missing mammoth from her skincare products.

Excited about this new discovery, she started searching for products that fit her criteria, but to her dismay, she couldn’t find anything. Rather than settling for something else on the market, Cassy decided to use her skills in Mechanical Engineering to engineer the perfect skincare products.

After much preparation, she was ready to launch her skincare product line FATCO to the world. She created an e-commerce website on SquareSpace, and started selling. Proving her family wrong, people and cows were jumping over the moon for Cassy’s products. Within the first nine months of launching she had managed to scrape in nearly $200,000 in revenue. Cassy quit her job as a Manufacturing Engineer in the automotive industry to focus on her growing hustle.

For Cassy, she saw an opportunity to create something that wasn’t on the market and bring it to life. Thanks to its grass-fed, organic principles, FATCO has grown fatter than she ever imagined. Later this year, you’ll be able to find FATCO stocked on shelves in Target, and you’ll also find Cassy taking on another new role of becoming a mom.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • FATCO: Head on over to Cassy’s website to learn more about the history and benefits of tallow in skincare
  • Squarespace: The website building platform that Cassy used to create her website
  • Do the Thing podcast: While you’re at it, check out Melissa Urban’s new podcast. Fun fact, it’s part of our imprint with Gretchen Rubin’s The Onward Project!

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Slow and steady growth is the key to longevity. Take it one step at a time and don’t give in to the pressure of having to get everything together and in order overnight."
—Cassy Burnvoth #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Bat House Hustle Takes Bite Out of Pesticides

What It’s About

Two friends start a profitable business that turns the perception of bats upside down.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Here’s some great advice from Chris:

“A lot of people think that people who have successful, small businesses (especially ones that attract a lot of media attention) just had a lightbulb moment of genius and then acted on their well of inspiration. I’d say that’s rare. What we did, and what I advise to others is to commit to doing something. You may not know what yet, but commit to it.

Once you’ve committed everything that follows can be broken down into steps—even learning what the next step is. As you take those steps, you build momentum as you see what you are able to accomplish.”

Fun Fact

Did you know? Without the assistance of bats, you can wave goodbye to bananas, avocados, and mangoes. Over 300 species of fruit depend on bats for pollination, and bats help spread seeds for nuts, figs, and cacao too. Without bats, we also wouldn’t have plants like agave or the iconic saguaro cactus.

Also, bats can eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes per night, making them far more effective than pesticides without any of the negative environmental effects!

Notes from Chris

Episode 877

The year was 2016, and the fear of the Zika virus was getting bad. Governments in Latin America were advising women to not get pregnant for two years. The United States prepared for a pandemic as summer arrived and mosquitos came out.

And then came the sprays. Millions of gallons of pesticides spread all over the country to try to avoid the coming plague… which never really arrived.

The massive uptick in pesticide use disturbed Chris Rännefors and Harrison Broadhurst, two friends in Lexington, Kentucky. Didn’t people know that a single bat could eat 1,000 mosquitoes per hour—all without needing an ounce of chemicals?

Nope. Apparently, people had no idea, and one day as the two friends walked around Wal-Mart and noticed there were dozens of bug sprays and not a single bat house for sale, they realized there was an opportunity to do something about it—potentially a very profitable opportunity.

They both had experience with woodworking and conservation. What if they built beautiful bat houses and taught people how helpful (and not dangerous) having bats around could be?

The idea seemed doable—and important. As I learned while researching this episode, bats need our help to adapt to the urban world, and we need their help to keep mosquito populations down. It felt like the perfect symbiotic relationship!

There was no magic bullet to this process. Just regular, disciplined, organic involvement on the platforms—and sure enough, people started visiting the website and putting in their emails.

After six months of prototyping and nearly $10,000 invested, it was time to launch the BatBnB Indiegogo campaign. Chris reached out to their email list—now nearly 2,000 names long—and announced the launch in July. He also sent a press release to dozens of local publications and conservation websites.

The following week, the campaign went live. Chris and Harrison anxiously stared at the clock. Would people really buy $220 bat houses? Were they going to get stuck building a bunch by hand?

But the fear didn’t last long. After a few minutes of silence, the first sale rolled in. Then another, and several more. Within days, BatBnB had sold over $50,000 worth of bat houses.

In the two years since their Indiegogo campaign, Chris and Harrison have continually invested in the community they built, and that community has become their biggest driver of sales. They’re preparing for an upcoming appearance on Shark Tank and are excited about their newly released budget-friendly $95 bat house.

And although the monthly $4-5k profits are thrilling, the greatest reward is knowing they’ve helped over 100,000 bats find great homes—and built a sustainable business they’re proud of while doing it.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • BatBnB: Hang out over on Chris and Harrison’s website to learn more about their eco-friendly, mosquito-fighting solution
  • Indiegogo | BatBnB: Check out Chris and Harrison’s Indiegogo campaign!

 

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"We did a good job building a community, but the key was time… we started EARLY. There was no instant-hit that gained us 2,000 followers. It took time to build and required constant posting and communicating with followers."
—Chris Rännefors & Harrison Broadhurst #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

WEEKLY RECAP: Maintaining a Routine in the Midst of Chaos

Notes from Chris

Episode 876

THEMES & TAKEAWAYS:

We’ve just finished week 21 of Season III!

This week, we featured a project that makes custom confetti, a professor who starts a YouTube channel about Marvel video games, and a very hardworking teacher who pays off $100,000 in student loans.

Always remember: there is another way. If I could show you nothing else through this process, it’s that the options that have been presented to you are not the only ones available to you. You know when someone says “Would you like A or B?” Often the best answer is to say “I’d like C, my own way.”

Creating financial independence for yourself is one of the most important things you can do because it opens up more of those alternative paths.

In this action-packed recap: I want to talk about the importance of routines especially in the midst of chaos or a busy life. I’ll also bring you an audio update from a previously featured side hustler.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW:

Today, we have an update from Ben Martinez who was featured on the show in Ep. 306.

Listen to the Weekly Recap to hear from Ben!

You can also check out his website, Sumato Coffee!

EPISODES FROM THIS WEEK:

Here’s what we heard this week on Side Hustle School! Listen to this week’s recap for a more comprehensive highlight reel.

  • Ep. 870 – Despite having little in the way of business skills, money, or education, this retail worker turns his father’s side hustle into a multiple six-figure business
  • Ep. 871 – A San Francisco fire protection engineer uses his unique expertise to teach continuing education workshops. This one is coming in hot!
  • Ep. 872 – A university professor manages depression by sharing his gift for gaming and community building on YouTube
  • Ep. 873 – A marketer and party lover starts her own side business making custom confetti mixes. After growing it to $70,000 a year, she goes back to work … before taking another look at the business
  • Ep. 874 – A young teacher uses tutoring and babysitting to pay off more than $100,000 in student loan debt in just three years
  • Ep. 875 – A passion for his profession turns a profit for one physical therapist

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

We want to hear from you!

The best part of Side Hustle School is our community, and around 20% of our episodes come from listeners. Are you working on something and want to share it with us and our audience? If so, we want to hear from you!

Head on over to our online submission page, and we’ll be in touch if your story is chosen.

And if you’re still working on something but have some questions, we want to hear from you too! Most Weekly Recap episodes include Listener Q&A.

Call the Side Hustle Hotline at 844-9-HUSTLE (844-948-7853), record your question and send it to podcast@sidehustleschool.com, or just send us an email!

Here’s what’s coming up next…

Each week I’ll feature more stories from people who are starting side hustles without quitting their job. Here’s a sneak peek of what’s coming next week:

  • Two friends hated the pesticides people were spraying during the Zika scare, but they had a long way to go to make bats—the natural alternative—appealing to consumers
  • A mechanical engineer invents her own “fatty skincare line” after not finding what she wanted on store shelves
  • And much more!

Do you have a side hustle story you’d like to share? Fill out the Side Hustle School submission form and your story may be featured on the show!

Also, if you’re interested in joining the Side Hustle Society, visit our Society page to get notified when it goes live!

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

Quote of the Day
"We never have total control over our time, even those of us who work for ourselves. The whole point of routines is to help us in those situations."
—#SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Learn More With Skillshare!

Supporting the sponsors keeps the show free. Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by Skillshare. 📷

Skillshare is giving Side Hustle School listeners 2 months of unlimited access—for $0.99! Join the 2 million students learning everything from street photography to SEO on Skillshare today!
Get Started Here!

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.


Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Physical Therapist Turns Memes Into $22,000

What It’s About

A physical therapist discovers a way to make life more humerus.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

According to Andrew, you shouldn’t throw money at FB ads without a plan and expect it to magically give you money back. He says that what works best is to be continually testing your Facebook ads and keep your emotions out of your decisions. You may think you have created the best ad ever, but it’s important to let the market decide. Andrew has had ads and even products that he thought weren’t all that good, but his audience loved it.

Fun Fact

The first physical therapists during World War I were actually called “reconstruction aides”. When physical therapy originally became recognized as a profession, it required a bachelor’s degree to practice. In the 1990s, programs transitioned to a Master’s of Science degree and now in the 21st century, the profession is now at a doctoral level.

Notes from Chris

Episode 875

Some side hustles start from the desire to one day escape a day job. But Andrew Tran’s side hustle story is more about finding a creative angle to enjoy his chosen profession in a sustainable way.

See, Andrew trained to become a physical therapist. And working with patients is both rewarding and draining. Physical therapists (also known as PTs) help people heal and get stronger. In some circumstances, physical therapy can prevent the need for pain medication and even surgery.

That’s why Andrew’s goal is not to leave physical therapy, necessarily. As he puts it: “Ideally, I would like to be in clinic just 2 days a week. I still love patient care, but don’t want to get exhausted, burn out, or lose interest in my job.”

Whenever he found himself getting bored with the didactic work of Physical Therapy school, Andrew would draw memes on whatever topic they were learning about. He says, “It might be because of my ADD tendencies, but when I see or hear something, my brain has always connected it with something else in life. Whether that is pictures, movies, TV shows, GIFs, or music.”

By the time Andrew was graduating, online memes were growing in popularity, and he tried finding memes online related to Physical Therapy. Since he couldn’t find a page that was consistently posting them, he took it upon himself to create an Instagram account, which he called @Physio_Memes.

The account took off … perhaps because he was the only one doing such a thing. A year later, he decided to try making t-shirts. The first shirt Andrew created for himself said “Turkeys Get Up.” It depicts a figure doing the Crossfit exercise known as “Turkish Get Up,” lifting a turkey in place of a kettle-bell.

Initially, there was still some doubt as to whether people would actually buy the products he was creating. But that first sale came in, and Andrew ran around the house in celebration. By the end of the first year, he had brought in $22,000, with ad costs of $3,200.

Andrew plans to strengthen his side hustle so that he’s not reliant on patient work to pay the bills, but can just do it for fun. That way, he can “keep life humerus,” as he likes to say. He’s also capitalizing on the lessons learned from his success by creating courses on how to start an e-commerce store and how to grow a brand on Instagram.

It’s no stretch to say that Andrew’s on track to achieve his goals.

 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Physio Memes: You don’t have to be a physical therapist to appreciate this clothing brand, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. See Andrew’s full lineup over on his website, and check out his Instagram page!

 

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

RELIABLE WEBHOST FOR $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for my past 5 websites. It's cheap, flexible, and you can get support 24 hours a day.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Find a niche that you are passionate about and then figure out what resonates with your audience."
—Andrew Tran #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Teacher Hustles to Pay Off $100,000 in Student Loans

What It’s About

A new teacher supplements her day job to pay off student debt in record time.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Diana says that if you want to start a side hustle in tutoring or babysitting, you need to find the right client base. She was lucky and moved to an area with lots of families that need babysitters and tutors, which made it easier to get jobs. Once you know you have potential clients, find Facebook groups for that area that Moms and Dads would be in. Diana has found all of her clients through Facebook groups!

Fun Fact

Diana first began babysitting when she was in middle school. When she got her first client, she was so excited and soon made flyers to pass around to her whole neighborhood so that she could find more clients.

Notes from Chris

Episode 874

Like many millennials, Diana Farmen graduated from college with a lot of student debt. After entering the workforce and scoring a job as a teacher, she wasn’t making nearly enough money to live on her own and pay the minimum monthly amount of $2,000 on her loans.

As a matter of fact, she had to move back in with her parents so she could afford it. She knew that she needed to find another way to make more money, work her way out of the hole of debt she was in, and live independently, but she wasn’t sure what to do…

So, Diana started thinking about what she liked to do and what she was good at. What she discovered is that she truly loved to work with kids. Her first job ever was as a babysitter, and over the summers when she was still in school, she worked as a camp counselor and a nanny. Thus, Diana decided that she would start babysitting again and offer tutoring to help kids improve their reading skills.

It was a simple idea, but as a teacher, these two side hustles were a natural fit for her. Diana knew that if she was going to spend hours a week hustling, after working her regular job, it needed to be something that she enjoyed doing.

Because she already had a reputation in her community for working with kids, it was easy to find her first few clients. However, as time went on, she wanted to increase her clientele. Instead of creating flyers to post around her neighborhood like she used to as a young girl, she turned to Facebook instead.

Her dad was a handyman and had found some of his clients from local Facebook groups full of adults from the area. One of the groups was specifically dedicated to parents, and Diana knew that if she could get in, it would be the perfect place to promote her side hustles.

Luckily, one of Diana’s family friends was an admin for the group and added her to the “recommendations” portion of the page.

When Diana made her first post advertising her services, she found that many of her current clients were in the group. They liked and commented on her post about how amazing she was at babysitting and tutoring which led to more attention from other parents. Most of them were friends, so if one person trusted someone, the others were likely to follow suit.

She made a combined total of at least $1,200 a month from her hustles as a babysitter and tutor. By making this amount of money and by being very frugal, Diana has been able to live completely off of her side hustle income and dedicate the entirety of her income from teaching to her loans. In three years, she paid off more than $100,000.

Diana says the key to her success has been to “go for it”. When she first started working her two side hustles, she would make an extra debt payment every week with the money she made to ensure that she wouldn’t spend it on anything else. Once she started making enough money to live on, she made debt payments every month on the 15th and 30th, which was when she got paid for teaching. Diana created boundaries for herself and stuck to them, rather than spending money here and there on things she didn’t truly need.

While she worked through her debt, she also started a blog, called Diana on a Dime.

Originally, it started out as a place to hold herself accountable, but it soon began to attract an audience. Now, she uses it to help others who are in the same situation as her. She has also just launched her first coaching program.

Diana plans to continue to hustle until the rest of her debt is fully paid off. However, she’s hoping to move away from babysitting and tutoring to working more with her blog. She knows there are only so many hours in a week that she can spend on her current side hustles, but that her “website income can grow without a tie to time.”

Next month, she’ll move out of her parent’s house and be able to live independently. Since she’s paid so much of her debt off already, her minimum monthly payment has been lowered, which has allowed her the freedom to be able to afford her rent.

When she first graduated, Diana had no idea how she’d be able to pay off such a daunting debt. Now, thanks to her hustle and hard work, she has an even bigger vision for the future.

 

  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • Diana on a Dime: Learn more about Diana’s dime pinching endeavors over on her blog!
  • WordPress: Diana used WordPress to set up her blog, and here you can learn how to install your own WordPress site in 5 minutes

 

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"The best way to use a side hustle to pay off debt is to set yourself some specific boundaries and find something you enjoy doing."
—Diana Farmen #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Party Lover Mixes Up Custom Confetti Business

What It’s About

Marketer mixes things up and gets the party started with her custom confetti.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Jessica made herself a promise to not lose focus and to not get too comfortable. Her new job is a great opportunity to learn and grow, but ultimately, she would like to return to The Confetti Bar full-time at some stage. That means treating it more like a like side hustle again, working nights and weekend to restructure her business plan, and gaining clarity on how to grow it in a way that she’ll continue to enjoy.

Treating your business like a side hustle, even when it’s a full-time business, is a great mindset to have!

Fun Fact

Custom made confetti is not always made by machine but is sometimes hand cut! Jessica will combine different textures, shapes, and sizes into the perfect mix for her customers. Sometimes that means a product so complex that the only way to create it is with good old scissor cutting.

Notes from Chris

Episode 873

Many creators talk about their ‘muse’ as a source of inspiration that comes from an unknown place. It guides their minds almost automatically, telling them where to go and what to do to create their masterpiece. Jessica Huizenga’s muse must be a party animal because one day it told her to start a custom made confetti business… totally normal, right?

When Jessica woke up with the idea, she took it straight to her husband. To his credit, he agreed to come along for the ride. He wasn’t about to be a downer when his wife was so enthusiastic.

Jessica was working full-time in marketing but moved quickly. Within a few months, she had figured out how to make her inventory, and had a website up and running. She called it The Confetti Bar. The party was about to get started, and all on a budget of just a few thousand dollars.

It didn’t take long at all for her to find customers. In fact, within a few weeks, she had her first cause for celebration and an order for a custom batch. She puts this quick win down to a very specific product, well marketed. That, coupled with a website that defined the product well and sold it as a fun alternative to standard confetti, did the trick.

Within six months of launching the site, Jessica was partying hard—and was earning enough to quit her full-time job and go all in. A remarkable accomplishment for her first side hustle.

Over the next few years, The Confetti Bar went from strength to strength. Revenue was raining down on Jessica with each and every order. She attracted the attention of some big brands that found her online, including McDonald’s, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Dr. Pepper, who all commissioned her to create custom confetti for their events. Some of these companies placed large orders, all the way up to $14,000 for one event. Although that amount wasn’t typical, a big order like that could fund her operation for several more months.

Jessica kept on this was for five more years all the way into 2018. For most of that time, she was having a ball. Each customer was a cause for celebration, and she felt like she was spreading happiness one little piece of biodegradable paper at a time.

Somewhere along the way, the fun got away from her. The business became complicated and less fulfilling. What used to make her happy was bringing her no joy at all. And by early 2018, sales had slowed and Jessica felt burned out.

She made the decision to return to full-time work, taking a position as Chief Marketing Officer for an online picture framing company. It was a hard choice, after being out on her own for so long, but it was the right one. She knew that she still loved confetti, and bringing happiness into peoples lives with her creations. But something wasn’t working, and she needed space, time and money to figure out what that was.

She made herself a promise to not lose focus and to not get too comfortable. Her new job is a great opportunity to learn and grow. But ultimately, she would like to return to The Confetti Bar full time at some stage. That means treating it more like a like side hustle again, working nights and weekend to restructure her business plan, and gaining clarity on how to grow it in a way that she’ll continue to enjoy.

It seems like a wise plan because as far as side hustles go, The Confetti Bar was a bonafide smash hit. At its peak, the business was making over $70,000 a year. Although things slowed quite a bit, they are starting to ramp up again.

Right now, Jessica isn’t sure what the future holds, but she’s excited to find out. She knows that confetti will always be a part of who she is and what she does. Right now, she’s learning to balance the love of her art, with the practicalities of owning a business and working full time. Through it all, she’s still the life of the party.

 

  MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

  • The Confetti Bar: Add a little color to your life—head on over to Jessica’s website to get some confetti for yourself!
  • WordPress: Jessica used WordPress to set up her website for The Confetti Bar, and here you can learn how to install your own WordPress site in 5 minutes

 

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Start with a clear (and preferably simple) idea. It takes a lot more than that to run a successful business, but at the end of the day, if your idea isn’t super clear, it will be that much harder to gain any sort of traction."
—Jessica Huizenga #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Don't Do Business Without It

Side Hustle School is brought to you by American Express.

No matter what you do in business, from working nine-to-five to working five-to-nine, it’s easier when you don’t go it alone. Get the powerful backing of American Express—don't do business without it! 💳 Visit American Express

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Professor Starts Marvel-ous YouTube Channel

What It’s About

A professor creates a money making alter ego.

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

If you’re looking to do something similar, here’s the strategy you should use:

“Make a video every day. Even if it’s just you staring into a camera talking. No one will watch at first and that’s a good thing! You want to make your mistakes when no one is watching and find your own voice/platform before you really take off.”

Fun Fact

Shane’s alter-ego has been revealed to his students, and he loves incorporating his Marvel-lover side into his lesson plans.

Notes from Chris

Episode 872
Shane Hoffman leads a double life. Each morning he gets up, puts on his clothes, and drives to his job as a multimedia journalism professor at Oklahoma State University. His students love him, and he loves his work.

But once the day is over, and the sun sets on the city of Stillwater, he transforms into Prof Hoff. A game-playing, Oreo-reviewing, dad-joke-cracking YouTuber with over 12 million views.

Much like Peter Parker and a plethora of other superhero alter-egos that came before him, Shane has an origin story with pretty humble beginnings.

Back in 2017, he found himself at one of the lowest points in his life. He’d just broken off an engagement and was fighting an uphill battle against depression. He felt like he’d spent all his time and energy on the wrong things—he wanted to focus on something that he enjoyed, and he wanted to help people.

Most of his free time was spent playing a strategy-based video game called Marvel: Contest Of Champions. In the game, players assume the identity of a Marvel superhero and go to battle against other people the world over. He was pretty good at it.

One day he was chatting with his twin brother, who suggested that he try turning his gaming into a YouTube channel. It would give him something creative to focus on and bring him closer to a wider gaming community.

Shane had spent the last few years reviewing Oreos and pizza on his channel, without much success. So, he figured why not try and mix it up a bit?

After that encounter, he went home to play the game, recorded a video of what he was doing, and posted it on his channel. He didn’t expect much, but to his surprise, the video gathered more views in a couple of hours than any of his Oreo videos had in the last three years!

Each video uses YouTube advertising to generate income. Because his content is safe-for-work, he’s the perfect candidate for advertisers to place their products at the start of his videos, and he rarely has issues with videos being de-monetized, a problem that some other YouTubers have experienced. Shane also receives donations from his fans who enjoy the videos he creates.

How much money are we talking about? Well, this year he’s on track to earn $36,000 from his side hustle, which is almost the same as his teaching income. And, if it keeps growing at this rate, it won’t be long until he surpasses it!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

CREATE YOUR ONLINE STORE

Create your online store with Shopify using an exclusive discount for Side Hustle School listeners. For a limited time, get a free 21-day trial and a 10% discount for a whole year.

Many Side Hustle School listeners are building sites using Shopify's easy-to-learn platform. Try it free today! Learn More

GET YOUR FIRST 1,000 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS

Social media is nice, but building an email list is still the single best way to get customers and clients for your hustle. It's not hard to get started—sign up for a 30-day trial and join the list-building challenge! You’ll be up and running in no time. Learn More

Quote of the Day
"Make a video every day. Even if it’s just you staring into a camera talking. No one will watch at first and that’s a good thing! You want to make your mistakes when no one is watching and find your own voice/platform before you really take off."
—Shane Hoffman #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau

Fire Protection Engineer Finds a Hot Side Hustle

What It’s About

A side hustle that’s really lit!

[podcast_details]

Words of Wisdom

Sagiv has several pieces of advice for others wanting to teach a course. First of all, specialize! There are so many organizations offering courses, so be unique and offer something no one else does. The second is to do what you enjoy. People have encouraged him to put his class online or do webinars, but he isn’t interested in that. He enjoys the personal interaction of being in-class.

Fun Fact

Sagiv was involved with the first building in the world that evacuates people from tall buildings during a fire. The 60-story Facebook building has a unique Occupant Evacuation Elevator safety system that uses automatic voice and visual instructions to get people out of the building in a short amount of time.

Notes from Chris

Episode 871
Sagiv Weiss-Ishai is a fire protection engineer for the City of San Francisco, and his day job is to inspect fire plans and building permits and make sure they are up to code. He specializes in high-rise constructions and elevator-fire codes. Fun fact: he was involved with the first building in the world (the 60-story Facebook building in SF) that evacuates people from tall buildings utilizing the elevators during a fire.

Because of his expertise in these systems, he was invited to speak at professional association conferences all over the country as a volunteer. The great reviews for these 60-90-minute presentations were coming in hot! Seeing the potential in his insights, many participants encouraged him to teach an accredited, full-day class since engineers are required to get continuing education unit (CEUs) to keep their licenses.

Riding the spigot of those glowing reviews, Sagiv reached out to a professional association to see if he could become one of their teachers, but they said already had enough trainers. The elevator door was slammed shut in his face. But this rejection turned out to be a bit of a false alarm—because it was the moment he decided to produce his own trainings.

The first critical step was to get a continuing education unit (CEU) accreditation for his course. After considering the requirements, he developed a day-long class and sent in the fee and accreditation application to the National Training School. They reviewed his credentials and syllabus—and like a building with fully functioning sprinkler systems, he passed inspection with flying colors!

But then came the question of where he’d teach. He wanted to hold it in a hotel and serve breakfast, a coffee break, and lunch, which is much nicer than what other trainings provide. It also needed to be in a convenient Bay Area location. His sister-in-law, a professional meeting planner, found the venue: the Oakland Airport Holiday Inn. The room was free and they only charged a per person cost for catering. This reduced Sagiv’s risk because he only had to pay for the number of people that signed up.

The first class was in 2016 and he was ecstatic when 60 students sign up, bringing in more than $20,000 in registrations—his side hustle was on fire! He has steadily grown since then, with five different course topics offered on a rotating basis. He taught four classes in 2016, six in 2017, eight in 2018, and plans to teach ten in 2019. The attendance averages about 45 students per class, with 118 being his largest. He’s expanded from the Bay Area to Los Angeles, Seattle, and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

One thing he wished he’d done differently: he wishes he would have hired professionals from the start instead of trying to save money. At first, he just used his own email list and contacts to promote the class with Mail Chimp, but eventually bought email list from Fount Media to increase his reach. He also hired someone to create his website.

Fortunately, Sagiv’s elevator safety side hustle has a lot more ups than downs!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

SEE ALSO:

Inspiration is good; inspiration combined with action is better. Now get back to work!

Yours in the revolution,

cg-sig-newsletter

Resources

WEB HOSTING @ $2.49/MONTH

Want to build any kind of website for your hustle? If so, you'll need somewhere to host it! This is the reliable company I've used for many websites. It's cheap, flexible, and offers support 24-7.

Get your own hosting plan for just $2.49 a month!
Learn More

GET $625 IN FREE TRAVEL

Earn 50,000 travel rewards points (enough for 2 round-trip plane tickets or $625 in travel credit). You'll also earn 2x points on all travel and dining spend, with zero foreign transaction fees.

I use this card every day all over the world! ✈️ Learn More

Quote of the Day
"If you think you’re offering a better product than everyone, charge double the going rate. If people don’t show up, you can lower your price. Otherwise, you will never know how high you can charge."
—Sagiv Weiss-Ishai #SideHustleSchool

Sponsors & Gratitude

Try ShipStation for 60 Days FREE!

Today’s episode of Side Hustle School is brought to you by ShipStation, the #1 choice of online sellers. 📦

To get a 30-day trial AND an additional month free, click the microphone at the top of their page and enter the word HUSTLE.
Get it Here

Like the Show? Leave a Rating!

Side Hustle School is for you! If you’re enjoying it, please take a quick moment to leave a rating or write a quick review. It's really easy and it makes a difference! ✅

It also makes a huge difference when you tell your friends about the show. Remember, it's 100% free and listener-supported.
Here's How

Keep in Touch

There’s a new story every single day on Side Hustle School. Episodes are produced to be short and to the point—I know you’re busy. Be sure you subscribe to get instant notification of the day’s broadcast!


To infinity and beyond,

Chris Guillebeau